Wicket and stake for indoor croquet



June 9, 1925.

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r 1,540,771 E. S. FOSTER WIGKET AND STAM: FOR INDOOR AGROQUET Filed Mann 15, 1924 Fig. l.

wi" I lnvenor. Edward 5.' Foser.

lay/aw wam A1 Fys Patented .lune 9,1925.

p UNITED Ks TA TES.

PATENT orifice. e

EDWARD S. FOSTER, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

.I WICKET AND 'STAKE FOR INDOOR CROQUET.

Application led March 15, 1924. `Seria1 No. 699,572.

4This.inventionrelates to an article for use in la i110- anA indoor Oame such as croquet and the general object of the invention is to provide wickets and stakes for the gaine so' constructed that they are durable and rugged and ywill enable the indoor game to ybeplayed under the saine'conditions as the outdoor game.V l i 1 y The wickets and stakes furnished with many of the usual game sets for playing indoor croquet consist of abody which is either the arch of the wicket or the upstanding post ofthe stake, with the arms of the wicket or the end of thejpost driven into the wooden blocks which fornisupports for the body. 4Vith this construction the bodies of the stakes or wickets soon -loosen in the su nporting blocks 4withthe result thatthe liodies or the supporting blocks become separated and,areifrequeiitly lost.

b Furthermore, the blocksstand up an appreciable distance above the Hoor and'extend a considerable distance away from the body of the article, so that if a ball comes near to the wicket but does not go through, it

is stopped by the support for the wicket and does not pass by the wicket as would happen if the game were played outdoors `where the ends of the wickets are driven into the O'round. If a ball is being driven toward the wicket or stake with considerable force and strikes the support, the wicket or stake is frequently knocked over or at least driven out of its position.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a wicket or stake for use in playing a gaineV suoli as indoor croquet iii which the body of the wicket or stake is firmly secured to the support toprovide a rugged construction. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide the wicket or stake with a support which will lie close to thefloor so that if the ball does not lgo through thewicket or strike the post it may pass by unhindered by the support.

A further object of the invention is `to providca wicket or stake so constructed that it may` Iirn'ilybe held on the covering for the floor so as to prevent .the wicket or stake from having-lateral movement or from being` knocked over when struckbya ball.

tion will more fully appear fiomthefollowing description and the accompanying drawings-and will be particularlyU pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustratein section and; elevation preferred forms of the wickets and' stakes and 'illustrate theinanner in which the wickets `or stakes are secured `to theA floor coveiing to prevent inoveineiit and `also` to provide a support which docs` not hinder free movementof the ball.v

In the drawings:

Fig. `l is a perspective of awicket in;

position cna rug ory carp'et` tionen a rug oreal-pet; ,l i

Fig. 3 is a section online 3 3, Fig. 1.

As illustrated herein the articles for use, y "in connection 'witlrplayingthegame of iiidoor croquet comprise a body whichV is either the arch l oftlievwicket or theV post Other objects and features of the inven- Fig. 2 a'pei-spective of a stake .in posi` vio 2 ofthe stake, and basesfor supports 3f n.

for the bodies. The wickets and stakes are designed vto lie on and be fastened tothe coveringof the floor, said covering being` illustrated herein asa carpet having a base 4- and a pile 5 fastened to the carpet base and projecting upwardly therefrom.

The supports for the arch of the wicket or the postl of the stake comprise athin metallic sheet 6 to lie yon the'tloor'coverf,

ing and tabs 7 extendingdownwardly `from i said sheet to entei' the floor covering and.

prevent lateial movement of the article. As illustrated .iii Fig. 3 the support sinks` under its own weight aiidwtliatl of the body which itl supports compressing that ,por-

tion 8 of the pile which is beneathit un'- til theupper surface of the support lies flush with Vthe exposed portion 9 of the pile so that the support does not present an obstacle in thepath lof a ball and ifl a ball approaches a wicket or stake it will.

not bc deflected from its course by the support.n The support is thin and fiat so that it will lie closely .against the floor covering and the tabs 7 are sharply 'pointed se that they easily enter the pile of the carpet,

thus offering practically no res-istance to the support sinking,` into the pile. The tabs, however, have quite an appreciable area which prevents lateral movement of either the Wicket or the stake and the supports have such an area that they firmly resist tipping of the article even though the body is hit by a ball coming with considerable force.

The are-h fof the Wicket is preferably for-med of a heavy metallic Wire and in orderto fasten the arch to the support the end I10 of each arm 11 of the arch is flattened 'and clamped under a portion l2 struck V4np from the main portion of the metallic sheet which forms the support. lf desired, solder 13 may be placed in the lopening left in the support when the portion is str-ucl( up, 'thus firmly andl permanent ly securing the arch of the wicket to the support.

rPhe flattened end l0 of the Wicket arm is preferably of considerably less length. than the 'radins of the ball which is used in playing the'game so that the ball will never come in contact with, or be deflected by, the flattened end of the Wicket. If a ball aproaches the Wicket it Will strike the upstanding portion of the Wicket arm and be deflected thereby and Will not strike the flattened end lO'of :the arm, thus rendering tlieconditions of playing the indoor game as near as possible like the 'conditions of -playing the outdoor game, in which the arm of the Wicket is the only portion there-V of Whichvvill deflect a ball.

The post 2-of theY stake is preferably either an iron rod or pipe and is fastened to its support in any suitable manner as by vbeing` forced into a 'hole inthe support or by solder 14. The top of the stake may be ornamented by a ball or other device 15 as desired t l Having thus described the invention, what is claimedias new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

LA Wicket lfefrtise in playing' indoor croquet on a floor Which is provided with a pile fabric lcovering, vsaid Wicket com pris'ing an arch 'formed of Wire and having the end of each arm thereof flattened and bent a'tri'glrt angles to .the arm, a sup-` port for each arnrwhich is separate therefrom and isformed offa metallic sheet of relatively largearea that is securedto the bent r'end of the arm, each support having sharp 'pointed tabs extending downWa-rdly therefrom vat right a1'igles-thereto and adapted to 'enter the pile ofthe floor covering and thus preventlateral movement zof the Wicket.

2. A Wicket for 'use in playing indoor croquet on afloor having a cover-ing, coniprisin-g an arch formed of heavy Wire having` the end of each-arm jof the arch flattened and bent vat right anglesto said ylarrn, separate thinQ-flat, metallic'sheets 'to lie on the floor covering and form supports for the arch, each having a struckeup 'portion between "which andthe main port-ion of the sheet said *flattened yend isv clamped and sharp pointed tabs extendingdownwardly from each sheet toenter thetloor cove-ring` and prevent lateral movement ofthe wicket.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD S. FOSTER. 

